House-numbering device



June 27, 1933. L, w EY r AL 1,915,666

HOUSE NUMBERING DEVICE Filed Sept. 1, 1931 //\/z/ TAU/R5 L.W. HARVEY C. E. OLCOTT J. w. ROBERTSON 4 TTUR/VE 5 Patented June 27, 1933 MTED STATES PATENT FFHCE LE'wOY w. HARVEY, CLARENCE n. oncorri' AND JOHN w. ROBERTSON, or PORTLAND,

' OREGON" p HOUSE-NUMBERING DEVICE 1 Application filed. September 1, 1931. Serial No. 560,674.

This invention relates generally to means for numbering houses 'with particular reference to illuminated house numbers.

The main object of this invention is the construction of a device whereby a house number may be rendered equally legible by night or by day. I

The second object is the construction of a house number which may be illuminated from the ordinary lighting circuit and which may be operated over long periods of time with an extremely low power consumptlon.

The third object is to so construct the device that it may be easily manufactured and assembled and that the number itself may be easily inserted and that, when once inserted, will not be subject to accidental displacement.

The fourth object is to so combine the number and illuminating means that all the light emitted by a very small lamp Wlll be utilized to illuminate the number without any glaring or blinding effect such as 18 ordinarily produced when attempts are made to illuminate house numbers.

The fifth object is to so construct the de vice that its costwill be so small as to make it easily available to the poorest householder.

These, and other objects, will become more apparent from the specification following, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the device.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken along the line 22 in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the number plate.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of an upper rearmost corner of the device.

5 is a perspective view of the under side of one end of the roof structure.

Similar numbers of reference refer to the same or similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the device consists of an upright back having sloping top sides 11 which meet at a high point 12. The sides 13 and bottom 14 of the back 10 are formed into achannel-shaped frame provided with a bead 15 around the 50 front face thereof. The inner faces 16 of a part.

the frame are provided withears 17 behind which is held the number plate 18. The uppercorners 19 of the plat-e 18 are beveled to correspond with the top sides 11.

the inner side of the upper end of its respective bead l5.

Insulated from the back 10 by means of afiber plate is a lamp bracket 26 whose lamp 27 is grounded upon the back 10. The

bracket 26 is connected to a lead wire 28. 'A

lead wire 29 is grounded to the back 10, and, together with the lead wire 28, passes through the opening 30 in the back 10. Oh-

viously, a current can be supplied to the lamp in any convenient manner, but it is desirable to employ a low voltage lamp similar to those used in Christmas tree lighting, and to operate same off of a suitable transformer from a lighting circuit.

The entire device is supported by means i of a pair of screws 31 which pass through the back 10 into a supporting structure.

The operation of the device is as follows:

It is first mounted in position on a wall or A other support by passing the screws 31 through the holes 32 in the back 10 and then slipping the proper number plate into position behind the ears 17 The wires 29 and 30 are then connected to a suitable source of 1 power and the roof structure consisting of the sides 20 and the hood 21 is slipped downwardly into position.

The inner side of the hood 21 and the faces 16 are preferably coated with a suitable light-reflecting material. Obviously, all the light emitted by the lamp 27 is reflected and directed upon the characters 33.

vVe are aware that many forms ofilluminating house numbers and display signs have been constructed in the past. l/Ve there fore do not intend to cover such devices broadly, but we do intend to cover all such I forms and'modifications thereof as fall fairly within the appended claim. W claim 5 A hous'ewnumber'ing device comprising flat back having an outwardly projecting frame extending on the front side thereof along two. v tia1..edg s and. e gtvth xhe r 1o zontal bottom thereof, said frame having a U-shaped closed section with its open side 'rearm'ost, said back extending upw rdly from the upper ends of each of the vertical frames toward a central point, a'removable roof shapedreflector cover having two slopsides coinciding wi'th 'thepupper edge of said back [and -.having a frontextending ownwardly' to thejtop endsfof the vertical;

frame portions, said front having a reflecting surface on the inner side thereof, said sloping roof sides having a cornice along each lower end thereof, each of said cornices having a down turned lug adapted to engage the .innehsi'de "of the outermost portion of the vertical frame portions, and a lamp mounted on the uppermost portion of said back adapted to reflect rays against the under side of the roof and against the inner side of the 

